U.S. patent number 5,177,680 [Application Number 07/259,313] was granted by the patent office on 1993-01-05 for electronic mail system with means to transmit data to a plurality of recipients without user intervention.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hitachi Computer Consultant, Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Ryoichi Nakazato, Seizi Ohgomori, Hiroshi Tsukino.
United States Patent |
5,177,680 |
Tsukino , et al. |
January 5, 1993 |
Electronic mail system with means to transmit data to a plurality
of recipients without user intervention
Abstract
An electronic mail system includes a plurality of terminals, a
business processing system connected to the plural terminals for
effecting a business processing so as to output a result of the
processing as output data, a transmitter mail box connected to the
business processing system for storing a list containing
information for each output data to specify terminals as receiving
points which receive the output data, and a receiver mail box
connected to the business processing system for storing the output
data for each receiving point specified by the list. The output
data in the receiver mail box is selectively outputted to the
terminal in response to a request from the terminal as the
receiving point.
Inventors: |
Tsukino; Hiroshi (Kawasaki,
JP), Ohgomori; Seizi (Funabashi, JP),
Nakazato; Ryoichi (Ebina, JP) |
Assignee: |
Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo,
JP)
Hitachi Computer Consultant, Ltd. (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
17394750 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/259,313 |
Filed: |
October 18, 1988 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 21, 1987 [JP] |
|
|
62-263825 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
704/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q
10/10 (20130101); G06Q 10/107 (20130101); H04L
51/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06Q
10/00 (20060101); H04L 12/58 (20060101); G06K
015/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;364/401
;340/825.44,825.55 ;379/96,93,94,5,8,89 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
"Storage Type Data Transfer System", English Abstract, 57-131148,
34 E142..
|
Primary Examiner: Hayes; Gail O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Antonelli, Terry, Stout &
Kraus
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic mail system comprising:
a plurality of terminals;
a business processing system connected to said plural terminals for
effecting a business processing on the basis of data supplied from
at least one of said plural terminals and for outputting a result
of the processing output data in the form of print out data;
and
memory means connected to said business processing system for
storing lists each containing information for each output data to
specify a destination terminal to which the output data is to be
transmitted, said information being supplied from at least another
of said plural terminals through said business processing
system;
said business processing system including means for referring to
the lists in said memory means and reading a destination terminal
specified by the output data when outputting the output data, and
means for outputting the output data to the read destination
terminal
said memory means includes means for beforehand loading in said
lists information supplied from the at least another terminal for
each output data, indicating a name of the output data and delivery
day/time when the output data is to be delivered to a terminal
corresponding thereto; and
said business processing system further includes means for
outputting to the corresponding terminal the output data
corresponding to the output data name designated by said list at an
arrival of the delivery day/time denoted by said list.
2. An electronic mail system comprising:
a plurality of terminals;
a business processing system connected to said plural terminals for
effecting a business processing on the basis of data supplied from
at least one of said plural terminals and for outputting a result
of the processing as output data in the form of print out data;
memory means connected to said business processing system for
storing lists each containing information for each output data to
specify a destination terminal as receiving points which receive
the output data, said information being supplied from at least
another of said plural terminals through said business processing
system; and
a memory unit connected to said business processing system for
storing the output data for each receiving point specified by said
lists, said business processing system including means for
referring to the lists in said memory means and reading a
destination terminal specified by the output data when outputting
the output data, storing means for storing the output data and the
read destination terminal specified thereby in said memory unit as
a reception list, and reading means for reading the output data and
the destination terminal specified by the output data from said
memory unit and for outputting the output data to the read
destination terminal in response to a request from the terminal as
the receiving point.
3. An electronic mail system according to claim 2 wherein said
business processing system includes a host computer.
4. An electronic mail system according to claim 2 wherein said
business processing system includes a terminal.
5. An electronic mail system according to claim 2 wherein said
memory means includes means for beforehand loading in said lists
information supplied from at least another terminal, for each
output data, indicating a transmitter of the output data.
6. An electronic mail system according to claim 5 wherein
said memory means includes means for storing therein, for each said
output data, information indicating a name of the output data and
delivery day/time of the output data to said memory unit, and
said business processing system includes means for storing in said
memory unit output data corresponding to the data of the output
data designated in the list in said memory means at a point of time
when the delivery day/time designated in the list in said memory
means arrives.
7. An electronic mail system according to claim 6, wherein said
business processing system includes meaning for loading said memory
unit, when the delivery day/time indicated in the list in said
memory means arrives, with information of the list in said memory
means corresponding to the output data, said information being
stored as a reception list.
8. An electronic mail system according to claim 2, further
comprising:
storage means for storing the output data outputted from said
business processing system;
wherein said business processing system includes means for reading
the output data from said storage means and for storing the read
output data and the destination terminal specified by the output
data in said memory unit as the reception list.
9. An electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein said
business processing system includes means for outputting the
information of the reception list in said memory unit, in response
to a request from a terminal, to the terminal.
10. An electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein said
business processing system includes means for referring, for each
of said output data, to the lists in said memory means for loading
a list in said memory unit with information indicating a
transmitter of the output data.
11. An electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein said
business processing system includes means for referring, for each
of said output data, to the lists in said memory means for loading
a list in said memory unit with information indicating reception
day/time of the output data.
12. An electronic mail system according to claim 2 wherein said
output data is data to be periodically outputted.
13. An electronic mail system according to claim 8 wherein said
information stored in said memory means is inputted from a terminal
connected to said business processing system.
14. An electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein said
reading means outputs the output data to the destination terminal
asynchronous with the storing of the output data and the read
destination terminal in said memory unit performed by said storing
means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic mail system for
electronically delivering information to a communicating partner,
and in particular, to an electronic mail system for delivering
output data produced from a business processing system.
In firms and companies, business processing systems are employed to
carry out business jobs, for example, for effecting daily, weekly,
or monthly jobs such that a daily, weekly, or monthly report is
periodically outputted from the computer system. The report thus
outputted is temporarily stored as output data in an auxiliary
storage so as to be printed out by use of a high-speed printer. The
printed matter is then delivered from an electronic data processing
(EDP) section to divisions and sections requiring the printed
matter.
In such a division, based on the data of the delivered report,
various jobs are conducted to produce data for the decision making,
to analyze the data, or to generate other reports. For these
purposes, it is necessary to input again the data in a data
processing equipment such as a personal computer dedicatedly used
in the division.
However, the conventional method above is attended with the
following problems.
That is, there is required human work when the output data
generated from the business processing system is to be delivered to
the divisions and sections requiring the data and when the
delivered data is to be inputted again for the processing and
analysis thereof. In addition, when a great amount of output data
is delivered in a form of printed matter, a large space is required
for the storage and accumulation thereof; furthermore, a long
period of time is necessary to retrieve data thus stored.
As described above, according to this method, a considerable period
of time is required to re-input the data and there exists a chance
of a mis-input, which leads to problems that the reliability of the
result of the data processing and analysis is lowered and the
decision making results in an error or is delayed.
On the other hand, there has been described in the JP-A-57-131148 a
system in which data created by a terminal in a time-sharing system
(TSS) by use of a host computer is transferred to another terminal
specified so as to deliver the data without producing the printed
matter thereof.
In this system, however, the terminal to which the data is
transferred is required to be specified when the data is created.
Consequently, in a case where output data periodically produced is
to be transferred to terminals, the terminal as the transfer
destination is required to be specified through an operator for
each data transfer, which deteriorates the efficiency of data
delivery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention, for removal of
the disadvantages above of the conventional apparatus, to provide
an electronic mail system capable of automatically effecting a
transmission processing of data outputted from a computer to a
terminal without necessitating intervention of the operator.
In order to achieve the objects above, according to one aspect of
the present invention, a transmission list including information of
a transmission destination terminal for each output data is stored
in a memory employed as a transmitter mail box such that when
output data is outputted from a computer, the information of the
list stored in the memory is referenced so as to automatically
conduct a transmission processing of the output data to the
corresponding terminal.
In the configuration above, since the transfer processing of the
output data can be automatically accomplished without necessitating
an operator's intervention, the efficiency of the transmission
processing is improved and hence the processing capacity of the
computer is increased. Particularly, the effect is emphasized when
the output data is periodically outputted.
In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention,
the output data is stored in a memory employed as a receiver mail
box for each terminal as the destination of the transmission
specified by use of the transmission list such that the output data
thus stored in the memory is selectively outputted to the
transmission destination terminal in response to a transmission
request therefrom.
In consequence, since the output data is automatically stored in
the memory for each terminal as the transmission destination, the
data transmission processing is automatically achieved without
necessitating the operator's intervention, thereby increasing the
processing capacity of the computer. Furthermore, when the operator
requiring the output data can freely and correctly receive the data
directly from the memory at a high speed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of an electronic
mail system according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transmission
list in a transmitter mail box;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a reception
list in a transmitter mail box;
FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a transmission list creation
processing;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining operations of the electronic
mail system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the transmission processing in
the embodiment of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing the reception processing in
the embodiment of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, description will be
given in detail of embodiments according to the present
invention.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of an electronic
mail system according to the present invention. The configuration
of FIG. 1 includes a business processing system 2, for example, a
host computer, and business terminals Tl to Tn to effect operations
such as an operation to input business data and an operation to
instruct a processing content to be effected by the system 2 and a
transfer destination of the processing result.
Data inputted through the terminals Tl to Tn is processed in the
processing system 2 so as to be temporarily stored in a file 6 such
that the data is selectively transferred therefrom to the terminals
Tl to Tn or to receiver terminals Tel to Ten.
Next, description will be given of a configuration employed to
effect a transfer processing of output data periodically supplied
from the system 2. Reference numeral 4 indicates a terminal, for
example, a manager's terminal to input information necessary to
achieve a transmit processing of the output data periodically
produced from the system 2, and the information is stored as
transmission lists 11a, 11b, etc. via the system 2 into a
transmitter mail box 10.
The output data periodically supplied from the system 2 is
temporarily stored in a file 8 so as to be thereafter loaded in a
receiver mail box 12 together with information of a transmission
list corresponding to the output data in the mail box 10.
The data thus stored in the mail box 12 is selectively supplied to
one of the receiver terminals Tel to Ten in response to a request
therefrom.
Incidentally, in the configuration of FIG. 1, for simplification of
the description, the terminals Tel to Ten receiving the data
periodically outputted from the system are different from the
business terminals Tl to Tn; however, the business terminals may
also be used as the receiver terminals.
Similarly, the manager's terminal may also be used as a business
terminal and/or a receiver terminal.
The data periodically outputted from the system includes data to be
daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly totaled or processed, and
description will be given here of an example of a weekly sales
report created by totaling the sales amount data for each week.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show examples respectively of a transmission list and
a reception list stored as tables in the transmitter mail box and
the receiver mail box, respectively. The transmission list is
created through the manager's terminal, whereas the reception list
is produced through a process of the transmission processing.
FIG. 2 shows the transmission list 11a in which the mail name is a
weekly sales report, the receiver name is, for example, the
terminal Tel, the transmitter name is, for example, the business
terminal Tl, the job name of the transmission data, namely, the
name of the output data is, for example, job 1, the page range is
denoted as 1 to 10, and the delivery day/time on which the output
data is desired to be delivered to the receiver mail box is
indicated as Oct. 1, 1:00 P.M. In a case where the data identical
to those of the weekly sales report of the list 11a are to be sent
to a receiver terminal other than the terminal Tel, there may be
disposed another transmission list for the pertinent receiver
terminal or the name thereof may be specified as the receiver name
in the list 11a. In this fashion, for each output data, a list to
be used for the transmission processing is created in the mail box
10 by use of the terminal 4.
FIG. 3 is an example of a reception list to be created as follows.
That is, when the output data is stored in data file 14a, 14b, etc.
in the mail box 12, information of the transmission list
corresponding to the output data is read from the mail box 10 so as
to be stored in the corresponding reception list 13a, 13b, etc.,
thereby preparing the reception list. The reception list 13a of
FIG. 3 corresponds to the transmission list 11a, where the mail
name is a weekly sales report, the transmitter name is the business
terminal Tl, the reception day/time, namely, the date when the
output data is stored is indicated as Oct. 1, 1:00 P.M., and the
reception data address is an address of the data file 14a at which
the corresponding output data is stored.
The receiver mail box is disposed, for example, for each reception
terminal, namely, in a receiver mail box, there are disposed the
different reception lists for the respective mail names.
Incidentally, for simplification, the configuration of FIG. 1
includes the receiver mail box 12 only for the terminal Tel.
Referring next to the sequence diagram of FIG. 4, description will
be given of the operation of the manager's terminal 4 to create a
transmission list.
First, a connect request for a connection to the system 2 is
instructed from the terminal 4 to the system 2, which then
establishes a connection between the terminal 4 and the system 2 so
as to notify the connection completion to the terminal 4 after the
connection is completely established. In response thereto, the
terminal 4 sends information to create the transmission list to the
system 2, thereby controlling the system 2 to generate the
transmission list and to store the obtained list in the transmitter
mail box. The system 2 then issues a report notifying the
completion of the transmission list create processing to the
terminal 4, which in turn instructs the system 2 to disconnect the
connection therebetween.
Referring now to the flowchart of FIG. 5, description will be given
of the operation of the electronic mail system of FIG. 1 after the
transmission list is beforehand created in this manner.
First, at an end of a week, a job is initiated to periodically
create a weekly sales report in the primary business system (step
101). The initiation of the job may be accomplished by the system 2
itself or in response to an instruction from a terminal.
A weekly sales report as a result of the execution of the job thus
initiated is outputted as output data so as to be stored in a file
8 as a temporary storage together with the job name (step 102).
The output data stored in the file 8 is loaded through the
transmission processing in the receiver mail box 12 together with
the corresponding transmission list in the transmitter mail box
10.
The weekly sales report stored in the mail box 12 is transmitted to
the pertinent terminal in the reception processing effected by use
of a receiver terminal (step 104).
The terminal achieved the reception processing then effects a
unique work/analysis processing based on the data of the weekly
sales report for the decision making (step 105). The work/analysis
processing means here a processing to attain information necessary
for related divisions and sections, for example, mainly to create
tables and graphs associated with such information.
Referring next to the flowchart of FIG. 6, description will be
given of details about the transmission processing.
The output data obtained in the processing system 2 has been
sequentially stored in the file 8. In this situation, it is first
checked to determine whether or not the output data having a job
name specified by use of the transmission list exists in the file 8
(step 204). If this is not the case, the step 204 is repeatedly
achieved until the output data is found. If the output data exists
in the file 8, a judge operation is conducted in a step 205 by
refering to the corresponding transmission list to determine
whether or not a page range has been specified for the existing
output data, for example, the weekly sales report. In a case where
the page range is not specified, the default is assumed, namely,
data of all pages associated with the output data is read from the
file 8 (step 207). On the other hand, if the page range is
specified, data of the pages specified by use of the transmission
list is read therefrom (step 206). In consequence, in a case where
there exists in the file 8 a weekly sales report of which the job
name specified by the transmission list is the job 1, the data of
pages 1 to 10 of the weekly sales report is read from the file
8.
Next, the system checks the delivery day/time specified by the
transmission list corresponding to the output data read from the
file 8 so as to determine whether the current day/time is past the
specified day/time (step 208). If the current day/time is not past
the delivery day/time, the output data is preserved until the
delivery day/time arrives (step 209). In consequence, the output
data is kept stored in the file 8 or the transmitter mail box 10
until arrival of the delivery day/time.
If the current day/time is past the delivery day/time, the output
data is stored in the data file in the receiver mail box
corresponding to the receiving terminal and information read out
from the corresponding transmission list is written in the
reception list, thereby creating the reception list (step 210).
That is, the system writes the mail name of the corresponding
transmission list as the mail name of the reception list, the
transmitter name of the transmission list as the transmitter name
of the reception list, the day/time when the output data and the
information of the transmission list are delivered to the receiver
mail box 12 as the reception day/time of the reception list, and
the address of the data file at which the output data is stored
therein as the data address of the reception list, thereby creating
the reception list.
In consequence, for example, in a case where a weekly sales report
associated with the output data corresponding to the transmission
list 11a is stored in the data file 14a in the mail box 12
corresponding to the receiver terminal Tel, there is created the
reception list 13a of FIG. 3.
Through the operations above, the transmission processing has been
completely accomplished.
Details about the reception processing will now be described by
referring to the sequence diagram of FIG. 7.
First, a receiver terminal issues to the system 2 a connection
request to establish a connection between the system 2 and the
terminal, which in turn establishes a connection therebetween and
notifies the completion of the connection after the connection is
completely established. The terminal then instructs the system 2 to
display on the terminal a list of information of the reception
lists destined for the terminal in the corresponding receiver mail
box. In response thereto, the information of the reception lists in
the corresponding receiver mail box is sent via the system 2 to the
terminal so as to be displayed thereon. When the operator checks
the displayed data and instructs a reception of a desired mail name
based on the check result, output data (of the pertinent mail) is
read from the data file specified by the data address indicated by
use of the reception list corresponding to the mail name and is
then sent to the terminal. When the transmission of the mail is
finished in this fashion, the terminal instructs the system 2 to
disconnect the connection between the system 2 and the
terminal.
Through these operations, the reception processing has been
completely achieved.
As described above, according to the embodiment above, since the
output data like a weekly sales report to be periodically produced
is automatically transmitted to the receiver mail box depending on
the transmission list, the transmission processing can be achieved
without necessitating an operator's intervention, which improves
the efficiency of the transmission processing. In addition, by use
of the receiver mail box, the receiver can freely and correctly
attain the necessary output data at a high speed and at an
arbitrary point of time.
In consequence, particularly in a case where the output data is to
be periodically supplied, there is attained a considerable effect
due to the automated operation of the transmission processing in
accordance with the present invention.
In addition, according to the embodiment, without modifying
programs used in the business processing system, only the necessary
output data can be correctly obtained at a high speed.
In the embodiment above, although the output data is stored in the
receiver mail box in the transmission processing, the output data
may be directly stored in the corresponding receiver terminal.
In this case, the receiver mail box is not disposed in the
configuration of FIG. 1 such that in the step 208 of the
transmission processing of FIG. 6, the output data of which the
deliver day/time has already arrived is directly transmitted to the
corresponding receiver terminal together with the pertinent
transmission list.
In consequence, the step 210 of FIG. 6 is not achieved; moreover,
the reception processing of FIG. 7 is not effected. That is, in the
receiver terminal, necessary data obtained from the output data
stored in the memory is selectively displayed or outputted as
printed matter.
In this configuration, since the transfer processing of the output
data to the terminals can be automatically achieved without an
operator's intervention, it is possible to improve the efficiency
of the transmission processing and to increase the processing
capacity of the computer.
In the embodiments above, the business processing system may
include a host computer, or a terminal may be provided with a
function to achieve the business processing.
In addition, the output data supplied from the business processing
system to the receiver mail box may be final data or intermediate
data (requiring a work processing). In the latter case, the
intermediate data undergoes a work in the receiver terminal so as
to be converted into the final data.
In the respective embodiments above, although the transmission list
is created by the manager's terminal, the transmission list may be
prepared by use of the business terminal or the receiver
terminal.
Furthermore, there is possibly considered a method of automating
the procedure of the transmission processing. That is, the
transmission list is beforehand registered to the transmitter mail
box such that immediately after a job such as a job to generate a
weekly report is initiated, the transmission processing is
automatically executed so as to effect the registration of the list
to the receiver mail box. According to this method, the human power
can be further minimized and the data transmission can be more
correctly effected at a higher speed.
In addition, although the description above has been given of a
case related to a weekly sales report, it is to be understood that
the present invention is effectively applicable to any business
systems in which output data other than the weekly sales report is
produced.
* * * * *